Included in this issue:

- Hazy skies return to Beijing but not for good

- Hong Kong to edit the new air quality index

- Beijing police turn back to bicycles

- Beijing enforces new road ban

- UN and China will cooperate on holding a senior class conference for climate change problems

AIR QUALITY

- Facts

Jinan: the smog of bio-burning appears for the first time (October 5, 2008)

The smog of bio-burning appears in Jinan city for the first time from afternoon of October 3. The smog influenced the visibility of city, but the traffic and flight are in gear since the concentration of the smog particles is not very high. According to the information from the emergency department of environmental protection, the concentration of the smog trends to be higher. However, the smog that causes bad air quality of Jinan is likely from the surrounding areas of Jinan city.

Chinese link: http://www.jiaodong.net/news/system/2008/10/05/010362042.shtml

Hazy skies return to Beijing but not for good (October 4, 2008)

High levels of pollution returned to the skies above the capital this week just two weeks after the close of the Beijing Paralympics. The Beijing Times said the city's air was polluted for three consecutive days after pollution indexes hit 106, 104 and 126 for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. The reappearance of the smog was blamed on the lifting of provisional environmental protection measures taken to ensure good air quality during the Olympics and Paralympics. The resumption of work on construction sites and the return of emission-heavy vehicles to roads are also to blame for the smog's return. So far this year, Beijing has enjoyed 208 blue sky days, 22 more than for the same period last year, according to the Beijing municipal environmental protection bureau website.

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-10/04/content_7076425.htm

- Initiatives

Hong Kong to edit the new air quality index (October 4, 2008)

According to the director of Hong Kong EPB, Qiu Tenghua, the government agrees that the current air quality index is behind the times. The relevant departments now are negotiating about it, and will give the revising comments by the end of this year or the beginning of the last year. The emission of SO₂ and NOx will be reduced by around 80% by using natural gas instead of coal in order to produce electricity.

Chinese link: http://news.china.com/zh_cn/news100/11038989/20081004/15118453.html

ENERGY

- Facts

Tibetans cooking with methane gas (October 4, 2008)

More than 100,000 Tibetan households are now cooking with gas thanks to an environmentally friendly hole in their backyards. Pits in which refuse is placed to ferment and produce methane are increasingly being used to meet the energy needs of families across the autonomous region. Families of five can meet up to 80 percent of their cooking and heating needs courtesy of a pit measuring 0.5 m by 0.5 m and by 0.5 m. With a potential to save a family about 1,000 yuan ($146) a year, it is estimated more than 100,000 Tibetan households are now making the most of methane gas.

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-10/04/content_7076450.htm

Oil refiners may return to profit in October (October 3, 2008)

China's oil refiners may return to profit this month after benefiting from the recent falling global crude prices, according to an industry association. The country's oil refining industry would probably shake off heavy losses caused by previous crude price increases and state-imposed caps on refined oil prices if international prices continued to drop, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Association said in a report.

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-10/03/content_7075771.htm

-Initiatives

The first project of synthesizing 1,4-butadiol from natural gas has been started (October 3, 2008)

The first chemical project of synthesizing 1,4-butadiol from natural gas has been started in Sinkiang October 2, which is the first project in this field in China. The project will produce 60 thousand tones 1,4-butadiol annually and owns the facility unit with biggest producing ability. 1,4-butadiol, BDO, is an important compound in the organic chemical industry.

Chinese link: http://energy.people.com.cn/GB/8127281.html

TRANSPORT

-Facts

60% Beijingers hopes limit vehicles on the road (September 29, 2008)

According to the special investigation report for green Olympics drafted by Beijing EPB, Beijingers give a high mark, 88.5, to the total environmental quality during Olympics. And about 60% citizens hope keeping the measures to guarantee the environmental quality such as oven-odd plate license system after the Olympics and Paralympics.

Chinese link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-09/29/content_10131011.htm

-Initiatives

Beijing police turn back to bicycles (October 2, 2008)

Bicycles have begun to return to Beijing police on their patrol in the capital city after a 10-year absence. About one third of the police in Beijing started to patrol on 1,600 bicycles or electric bicycles this October, returning to the tradition in the 1990s. The measure was taken in a bid to reduce energy consumption and air pollution, said a report from The Beijing News. The policemen on bicycles also shoulder the responsibility for instant support to places where traffic was inconvenient. During the past decade, bicycles of police were replaced by motor vehicles.

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-10/02/content_7074118.htm

Beijing: the vehicles with yellow label will be banned in the 5^th Ring from Jan 1^st 2009 (October 2, 2008)

Beijing EPB announced that the vehicles with yellow label will be banned in the 5^th Ring from January 1, 2009, and the ban area will be extended to the 6^th Ring from October 1, 2009. The vehicles with yellow label, not Beijing plate license, will also follow the same regulation.

Chinese link: http://env.people.com.cn/GB/8126468.html

Beijing will return to oven-odd plate license system when meets extremely adverse weather (September 30, 2008)

“When meets extremely adverse weather, Beijing will return to oven-odd license system from October 11 on”, this is included in the 15^th phrase of air pollution control measures of Beijing. According to the Du Shaozhong, the deputy director of Beijing EPB, government will forecast the air pollution and start the plate limiting system if Beijing will meet extremely adverse in 48 hours.

Chinese link: http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2008-09/30/content_10135076.htm

Beijing enforces new road ban (September 29, 2008)

All of Beijing's private cars will be banned from the roads for one day a week for a six-month trial period starting on October 11, the municipal government said yesterday.

Cars with license plates ending in 1 or 6 will be banned on Mondays. Those with plates ending in 2 or 7 on Tuesdays, 3 or 8, Wednesdays, and so on. The ban will not apply on weekends. The ban will be applicable within the Fifth Ring Road from 6 am to 9 pm for private cars, and round the clock for government and company vehicles, the municipal government said. From Wednesday, 30 percent of government vehicles will also be taken off the roads. The ban does not apply to police vehicles, ambulances, fire engines, buses, and taxis.

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/29/content_7069641.htm

Beijing probably provides only 100 thousand plate licenses every year (September 29, 2008)

Based on the information from officials of relevant department, Beijing will launch new policy to control the amount of vehicles in order to address the environmental problem and release the high traffic press. One of the likely measures is that only about 100 thousand new plate licenses will be provided every year.

Chinese link: http://www.nanfangdaily.com.cn/21cn/200809290047.asp

OTHERS

Jingmen: lower GDP energy consumption in H1 (October 5, 2008)

Jingmen city promoted the circular economy and reached 1.84 tones standard coal of GDP energy consumption in 10 thousand yuan in H1 of 2008, reducing 4.5% to the same period of the last year; while reached 1501.4 KWh of GDP electricity consumption in 10 thousand yuan, reducing 4.3% to the same period of the last year. The good air quality day rate is 90.7% in the central area of the city, improving 2.6% to the same period of the last year.

Chinese link: http://news.hexun.com/2008-10-05/109466191.html

The project for CNC gas-cylinders made by composite materials pass the examination in Harbin (October 4, 2008)

Department of Science and Technology in Heilongjiang province has finished the examination and acceptance to the project of Institute of Fiber Reinforced Plastic in Harbin for CNC gas-cylinders made by composite materials. The result of the project will help the extension of vehicles with natural gas and reduce the exploding danger.

Chinese link: http://www.hlj.gov.cn/zwgk/ljdt/tjdt/200810/t20081004_135860.htm

UN and China will cooperate on holding a senior class conference for climate change problems (October 4, 2008)

Under-Secretary General of UN Mr. Sha Zukang said that UN and China will cooperate on holding a senior class conference for climate change problems from November 7 to 8 in Beijing, focusing on discussing about the international cooperation on technique development and transfer.

Chinese link: http://news.china.com/zh_cn/news100/11038989/20081004/15118060.html

Alcoa moves to build a sustainable future in China (September 29, 2008)

Wider application of aluminum will further enhance energy efficiency and contribute to sustainable city development and construction, an executive of global integrated aluminum maker Alcoa said. "The concept of sustainable development as the most important part of urban planning has reached a global consensus," Helmut Wieser, executive vice-president of Alcoa said to China Daily exclusively at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin. "In addition to the regular content needed in urban planning, we must also take into consideration the issue of resources and the environment concerning urban development in order to achieve the sustainable development."

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/29/content_7069783.htm

Eco-city to showcase strategic partnership with Singapore (September 29, 2008)

When the first spade hit the ground at the 30 sq km Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-city, Tianjin became the toast of the strategic partnership between China and Singapore, setting in motion their joint goal of ensuring a sustainable future for the city.

Along with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Singaporean Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong attended the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday on the sidelines of the 2008 Summer Davos held in Tianjin.

English link: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-09/29/content_7069702.htm

API IN THIS WEEK

Olympics Cities	API (Dominant Pollutant)
	29-Sep	30-Sep	1-Oct	2-Oct	3-Oct	4-Oct	5-Oct
Beijing	83	106	104	126	108	63	49
	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	--
Tianjin	57	79	76	90	84	40	21
	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	--	--
Qinhuangdao	56	56	51	62	58	56	40
	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	--
Shanghai	43	33	56	76	61	54	39
	--	--	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	--
Qingdao	84	85	100	61	57	68	50
	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	--
Shenyang	70	76	74	78	65	46	62
	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	PM10	--	PM10